Western Sahara Surfing

About Western Sahara

Western Sahara is the former Spanish Sahara, a large, lightly populated desert country south of Morocco. When Spain pulled out in 1976, the territory was occupied by troops from Morocco and Mauritania. The Mauritanians withdrew in 1979, and Morocco has occupied all of Western Sahara since then. That annexation is not recognized by any other country and other African countries recognize instead the Republica Saharaoui, organized in exile in Algeria. Presently, Morocco is administering Western Sahara under a 1991 armistice agreement and pending a referendum on the future status of the country to be organized by the United Nations. This referendum has been postponed repeatedly. Security conditions in the country are currently quiet and the coast is open to adventurous foreign tourists